Archive for the TLX Category

Let’s talk about some pedal-to-the-metal, high-revving adventures today. With all the hundreds of thousands of miles I’ve traveled, I consider myself a seasoned driver, but certainly not when it comes to racing. My younger brother Payton is the race driver for the H&S Motorsports team in Utah, but I don’t stand a chance at matching his skills. (Here’s a short clip from about a year ago when his Ford Lightning got into the 8-second range in the quarter mile dragstrip).

My race experience, on the other hand, has been limited to just a few events, including the following which stand out in my mind:

Autocross race in the Legend at NALM 2009 in Springfield, Missouri (photo below where it looks like my car might roll over)

Those handful of times I took my 1989 Prelude on the 1/4 mile strip at the old airport at age 17

Some people just seem to have a gift for high-speed driving. One of those is seasoned race veteran Peter Cunningham, who over the course of his 28-year racing career has taken home nearly 100 professional race wins across 12 different North American road racing series.

Peter’s race history goes back to when he founded a company called RealTime Racing in 1987. RealTime is based in Saukville, Wisconsin, just north of Milwaukee. Since those early days, American Honda and the Acura Division have partnered with RealTime for performance driving events. Peter has raced in such cars as a 1992 Integra GS-R and even a Honda Civic 4WD Wagon.

Today, Peter and his relatively new colleague driver Ryan Eversley, continue to pilot the RealTime team to wins year after year. RealTime has amassed nearly 6,000 followers on Facebook and Peter’s Acura TLX “GT” has shown up at multiple Auto Shows, including its original debut (which I attended) in January 2014 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan. I most recently checked the car out at the Japanese Classic Car Show (JCCS) last September in Long Beach, California. Thumbs up!

Last night, I met up with Peter as well as his Team Manager, Nathan Bonneau, who happened to be visiting the Phoenix area for a Bridgestone Tire event at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. We grabbed a bite to eat at a restaurant called Roy’s in Chandler and visited for a couple of hours about the latest happenings with RealTime.

Peter also showed me photos a few of his latest Honda & Acura acquisitions. Just a few weeks ago, I helped him scope out a local mint-condition 1990 Acura Legend LS Coupe with only 36,000 miles on it. That car has now made its way into Peter’s collection in Wisconsin.

RealTime’s full race schedule is posted here. Later this week, he and his crew are off to St. Petersburg Florida for the Grand Prix event there. Good luck to them and I’ll stay tuned for the results! Peter gave me a couple of RealTime posters as well as a T-shirt that I’ll proudly be wearing in support.

Coming up next: A 2,132-mile, 5-day road trip to Dallas, Texas that starts tomorrow. I probably won’t be doing any blogging on-the-fly (or, on-the-drive, in this case). But I’m planning on sharing a few highlights on my Instagram as the trip progresses.

“It’s that kind of thrill.” It was a pretty bold move on behalf of Acura’s marketing department to center the TLX launch campaign around the world “thrill.”

The car is, after all, just another midsize family sedan in a crowded market segment. The majority of the 20,000 or so TLX models that have sold since the car went on sale last August are probably dutifully shuttling executives to work, hauling mom or dad to the grocery store, or basking in the sun at the mall parking lot. But when called upon, can the TLX provide the driving excitement that Acura promised?

I’d been itching for a chance to do a full evaluation on the all-new Acura TLX since I saw the Prototype version debut in its glistening “Athletic Red” paint job at the Detroit Auto Show over a year ago.

Since then, I’ve been behind the wheel twice – once for an initial test-drive from my local dealership, and once during last October’s Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year event. Both of those cars – as well as the one that I’ve been tooling around in for the last few days – were V6 models. The TLX is also offered in 4-cylinder configuration, powered by the same 2.4 liter that’s now standard on the smaller 2016+ ILX model.

Let’s talk tech later. How is this thing to drive? Well, I was working from home the day that it was delivered, and the first place I needed to go was to get lunch. It took me a minute to tell myself silently, “No clutch. Just a brake pedal and pushing buttons.” I’ve been kicking at a clutch pedal since I was 17 so every time I get into an automatic, it’s culture shock. In the 3 miles from my house to the nearest Panda Express, though, I was already sold. Perhaps it’s because I’m used to a 113,000-mile ILX suspension, but I couldn’t get over how smoothly the TLX carried itself.

Where To?

To really put this new TLX to the test, I decided I needed introduce it to one of my favorite Arizona scenic byways: Highway 77 through the Salt River Canyon. I’ve blogged about the route a few times, most recently on my Christmas Day trip, but the place is cool enough that it deserved another look. Our 300+ mile route offered a combination of freeways, two-lane twisties, and some good inclines for power evaluation. As with most of my drives, the participating vehicles were assorted. In the mix this time, we had a 2015 Lexus RC-F, a 1998 BMW M3, and the 2015 Acura TLX V6 SH-AWD. The Lexus was piloted by friend and colleague James who authors Six Speed Blog.

It became quickly apparent that the TLX was definitely the preferred “cruiser” of the pack. It plays in a different realm than the two door sports coupes, pampering its driver and passengers in creature comforts and a smooth ride. A few spirited acceleration runs up the highway to redline with the paddles, though, taught us that the 3.5 liter V6 has a nice audible growl when pushed, and its 290 horses did a respectable job of keeping up with the Lexus’ 467.

One place we got to hear those horses gallop was through the 1/4-mile-long Queen Creek Tunnel just east of Superior on US Highway 60. There’s something about being inside a tunnel that makes every car fanatic want to roll down the windows, hammer down on the throttle, and listen to the symphony of intake & exhaust echoing off the walls.

I remember seeing an old Acura TV commercial awhile back that criticized some luxury automakers for making their cars too isolated. The basic message was, “If you separate the driver too much from the road, a driving experience isn’t an experience at all.” I feel like that’s where the TLX strikes a nice balance — it’s a car that you can drive cross-country without getting exhausted, but it doesn’t feel like a vault and there’s still a fun-factor when you want there to be.

Exterior

On the outside, the TLX exhibits a conservative shift from the polarizing, angular design of the 4th generation TL. Perhaps it’s even too conservative, some of the people in our group said. My test car’s “Black Copper Pearl” paint gave off a nice brown sparkle in direct sunlight and looked pretty much black in every other lighting condition.

I’m of course a fan of the “Jewel Eye” LED headlamps, now standard across the entire Acura lineup as of the 2016 model year. My test car was equipped with the Advance package, which means I got LED foglights as well. Those two lighting systems make this the best car I’ve ever driven with regard to nighttime illumination. Speaking of lighting, the Advance package also gave me “puddle” lights underneath each sideview mirror that turned on when approaching the car at night.

My demo TLX was outfitted with 18″ wheels, but the accessory 19’s really make the TLX pop:

Interior

Inside the cabin, my test car’s “Espresso” leather interior got a lot of positive feedback. Finishes have a premium feel to them, and a few people commented on the stainless steel looking dash trim. Interior designers have obviously gone to great lengths to make the TLX interior a nice place to spend time in. Heated & cooled seats keep things comfortable, but I wish they could be activated via button or dial rather than the touch-screen interface. Throughout the course of the day, I test-drove (test-sat?) every seat including the back. Head & leg room are great, and I liked the HVAC vents for the rear seats.

The center console has a handy rubberized platform/tray for your iPhone or iPod, and the plug-in jack is easily accessed underneath. The gauges, as in every Acura I’ve driven, are perfectly laid out for at-a-glance feedback. Driver visibility is excellent all the way around – made possible in part by that “frameless” rearview mirror attached to the windshield. I loved that the sideview mirrors on the TLX dim at night just like that center mirror does. It really helps keep the glare down.

The instrument panel is outfitted with Acura’s signature dual-screen layout, to which I’ve already become accustomed in the RLX and MDX on my reviews previously. The lower touch-screen controls the climate and audio functions, while the upper screen is for display-only. I usually left it on map view. It does take some time to become acquainted with the controls, but the menus are intuitive, screen resolution good, and response time immediate.

I do find it odd that a $46k car doesn’t have an electronic tilt/telescoping steering wheel. It’s repositioned via old-fashioned lever underneath it. Even my 1994 Legend coupe has power controls for the wheel. That being said, the TLX interior was still praised many times throughout the day (and week) as an extremely comfortable place to be.

Tech

From a tech perspective, the pieces are all there. I played around with the ELS stereo system and pushed the bass and subwoofer all the way to the max. It rocks nicely. I recommend playing Metallica’s “Unforgiven II” at full volume to experience it like I did.

There are plenty of creature comforts like push-button start and auto-unlocking doors when you walk up to the car with the key in your pocket – these are much-appreciated standard fare on even the base TLX.

I’m not thrilled with the fact that the volume & track adjustment button are the same on the steering wheel (spinny up/down wheel for the volume, left/right toggle for the track). My fat thumb accidentally changed the track a couple times when I was going for the volume. Additionally, we were bummed to learn that the car doesn’t allow Bluetooth phone pairing while the vehicle is in motion. I understand the logic, but even as a passenger that functionality is locked out.

The TLX’s driver-assistance tech is extensive, starting with a standard back-up camera. I liked the blind spot detection system which illuminates an indicator on the A-pillar when a vehicle is positioned in the blind spot. The TLX also has sensors all the way around it – and they’re ultra sensitive too. Even if someone is walking along next to the front of the TLX, it displays “approaching object” on the screen and gives an audible beep.

Finally, the adaptive cruise control is a handy feature that tells the car to keep a pre-set distance between itself and the vehicle ahead. If you inadvertently ever hit something with the TLX, you really aren’t paying attention.

Quote of the day goes to Ryan who excitedly ran up to me and said, “Acura hasn’t lost their soul!” He’d just discovered that the TLX has a feature, just like his 2006 Acura TL does, that will roll up/down all the windows & moonroof by sticking the key in the door lock and holding it left or right. That discovery pretty much made his day.

Driving Experience

The TLX’s direct-injected 3.5 liter V6 engine is the star of the show. It delivers 290 horses’ worth of usable power throughout the rev range, but really starts to come alive after about 5,000 RPM. I can only imagine how nice it would sound with a sport-tuned exhaust system of some sort – perhaps as an option on an A-Spec TLX if there ever were such a thing. Acura, are you listening?

I’m still waiting for the 9-speed automatic transmission to woo me since I’m first and foremost a “stick shift” guy, but I certainly realize what a minority that makes me. Understandably, that number of gear selections does make for some pretty extensive gear-hunting while in motion. When prompted via throttle input, there’s a pause of questioning before the TLX gives you forward momentum. Using the wheel-mounted paddle shifters helps the situation, and “Sport” mode forces the car hold each gear a little longer. That gives you an experience that’s about as close as you can get to a manual transmission without having a clutch pedal.

There are obvious benefits to having so many gears from an MPG perspective: From Payson to Scottsdale on Highway 87, we cruised at 80 mph in 9th gear while the engine barely breathed – sitting at fewer than 2,000 RPM. That bodes well for fuel economy, with the TLX getting 21 city & 31 highway. The auto start/stop feature helps with that too, when idling at a stoplight – though I wish the system wouldn’t always default to ON each time the car is started if I’ve manually deactivated it.

I described the handling feel to a friend as compared to having super glue on the tires. Equipped with Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive (SH-AWD), the TLX is darn near impossible to break loose in any kind of cornering situation. The car stays planted at speed. Perhaps that “low center of gravity” was thanks in part to the fact that the car carried 4 occupants for most of our day, but it really did inspire a great deal of confidence on some of the technical parts of our drive.

Final Take

The TLX excels where its engineers wanted it to – it’s a competent cruiser that blends just the right amount of refinement with recreation. Its few shortcomings are outweighed by its virtues, and it’s a car I would feel right at home putting 500,000 miles (or more) on. It’s just too bad my fortune from Panda Express discouraged me from taking on another car payment.

Today, I received a very “official” looking piece of mail. It was the kind of envelope with the edges you have to fold over and tear off, like a check or invoice. TIME SENSITIVE MATERIAL – ACURA ILX it said in bold letters on the outside. I wondered if maybe I’d received a speed camera violation or something. Nope, it was an offer for an extended warranty. Dang junk mailers get more creative every day.

So, am I interested in an extended warranty to 100,000 miles? Umm, considering the fact that I’m only 3,182 miles away: No thanks.

On an unrelated note, I got to meet up with a proud Acura TLX owner today. My friend Matt, former owner of a TSX and a TL, has recently upgraded to this new ride. Hey, look, I’m in the pic too. My shadow is, anyway.

The editors at Arizona Driver Magazine saw fit to include one of my recent road trip stories in their publication, and I’m thrilled.

Many of you already read my write-up on the Old West town of Tombstone, Arizona, but I put together a special version for the feature story in the September/October 2014 issue of Arizona Driver. This unique magazine is “The Enthusiast’s Guide to Life Behind the Wheel.”

Arizona has a strong ‘car enthusiast’ population due to its year-round weather friendliness. Summer tires can be worn in most parts of the state whether it’s January or July, and aside from giving great road trip ideas, the magazine shares insightful reviews on new vehicles & industry news. Feel free to click through these pages if you’d like to read through the article.

Coming up this weekend: You’ll join me on a drive to Long Beach, California for the 10th annual Japanese Classic Car Show (JCCS).

I took delivery of my 2013 ILX on June 12, 2012 with 16 miles on its odometer. The 2015 model year ILX is now already out, and aside from some packaging changes and the deletion of the Hybrid powertrain offering, the ‘newest’ car is pretty much identical. That’s all about to change.

Did everyone catch the spy pics of the 2016 Acura ILX that were released on Thursday? Edmunds posted them for the world to see, and I like where the design direction has evolved. Notice the “shield” grille (or otherwise known as the ‘beak’) has been tweaked. I also see Jewel Eye headlights, much like the RLX, TLX, and MDX already have. Finally, the front & rear bumpers are much more aggressive looking.

Awesome tape job! They should leave those as racing stripes.

I’m liking that lip spoiler out back.

No word yet on when Acura will show us the production version of this refreshed ILX, but maybe it’ll happen at the Los Angeles International Auto Show in November. I’ll be there watching, just in case.

My ILX got an “A12” service at Acura of Tempe yesterday. For $380.74 (ouch), it’s now sporting a pair of new rear brake pads, a new cabin air filter, and some fresh 0W20 motor oil. It had been 8,271 miles since my last oil change. My service advisor recommended having the serpentine belt changed on my next visit, but I’m sure that’ll be after I’m well into 100,000 mile range. Also – SHOCKER – for the first time in history, I allowed the dealership to wash my car. I’ve been so busy that I just haven’t had time to do it on my own, so it was nice to let someone else do my chores for a change.

It’s been a wet & wild couple of weeks in the Phoenix area. On Monday, September 8th, the area experienced its wettest day in recorded history. By noon we’d already received 3 inches – roughly a third of our annual average. For me, it was a wet commute to the office.

For others, it was even wetter. This is what Interstate 10 looked like at 43rd Avenue.

Typical for indecisive desert weather, though, by the time I left the office that same afternoon, it was back to blue skies & sunshine.

It was a few days before the warning signs were removed from roadways around my neighborhood.

Even the Legend, which probably hadn’t seen rain for a year or more, got stuck in a downpour.

Finally, it’s always a cool feeling to see a “first” of any new model on the road in a real-world setting. I was sitting at a light on westbound McDowell Road in Scottsdale, and caught a glimpse of some LED headlights in my sideview mirror. This was a TLX.

I felt like a bit of a paparazzi for taking such pictures, but it was kind of exciting to see an on-the-road version of the very vehicle that I saw unveiled as a prototype at the Detroit Auto Show this past January.

Rain, in Phoenix? I never thought the first feature I’d be experiencing on Acura’s most advanced vehicle ever would be its rain-sensing windshield wipers, but it was. I’ve been watching for this car to hit the streets since I saw the cover pulled off the prototype in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

My local dealership, Acura of Tempe, currently has 3 TLX demo cars in stock. All are V6, front-wheel-drive models with the Advance (top-line) trim package. My friend Daniel, who you’ve already met and who drives a sweet Acura TL, met up with me for this rainy-day test drive of Acura’s all-new midsize sedan. Most of my readers will already know that this car debuted as a replacement for the now-discontinued TL and TSX models, and it’s sized in between the two.

The TLX that I drove was powered by a 290-horsepower, 3.5 liter V6 engine and Acura’s signature “Precision All-Wheel Steering” (P-AWS).. A few dealer add-ons (window tint, wheel locks, and side moldings) drove the price to just above $44,000. The Crystal Black Pearl exterior was nicely complimented by an “Espresso” (fancy speak for “Brown”) interior. I liked the combination, and as crazy as it would be to own a black car in Arizona, I think that’d be my top pic from the color palette.

So how about that driving experience, eh? Well, I wasn’t even in the car for more than 3 seconds when my right hand went down to reach for a shift a lever that wasn’t there. That’s because the car I had was equipped with a push-button transmission. A pull-back on the “R” button sent me into Reverse, but not before I cranked my ventilated seat to “high” setting via the touch-screen climate control. In all, my drive route was no more than 5 or 6 miles, but it was enough to experience the driving dynamics in both surface street & freeway settings.

I found the TLX eager to accelerate and ultra smooth in doing so. Of the transmission’s 9 speeds, I think I only got it up to 5th. Tire spin from a dead stop comes easily with the torquey V6, especially on wet pavement. Fit and finish exceeds expectations, with tasteful woodgrain accents on the door panels and soft-touch materials throughout the cabin. Daniel commented that the level of refinement exceeded that of his 2012 TL by quite a bit. Wind & road noises were heavily muted in the cabin. Accelerating onto the Interstate 10 onramp, I dipped deeply into the throttle and loved the sound of the engine at 5,000 RPM, awakening from its refined state.

It’s tough to find fault with the TLX. Adam, the sales representative who accompanied us, reported that it’s entirely possible for even the V6 engine to achieve MPG in the 40’s in “Economy” mode. That kind of efficiency, coupled with the amenities that Acura is great at providing, make for a compelling package deal. Adam encouraged Daniel to engage “Sport Plus” mode during his test drive, and even from the back seat I could readily feel the difference in engine performance, shift points, and suspension as the car transformed into a more raw driving experience: higher revs, tighter handling, and more pronounced gear transitions.

If Acura were to offer a 6-speed manual transmission in the TLX I’d be pondering an upgrade from the ILX, but as for right now I’m content to row my own gears. I’m looking forward to checking out the 2.4 liter 4 cylinder TLX as soon as it’s available, as well as the Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive version, but for now I stand impressed at what the TLX offers. I’ll post a more detailed review as soon as I get access to the vehicle for more than just short test drive.

Huge thanks to Sales Consultant Adam Ferguson for taking the time to introduce us to the TLX. He mentioned during my test drive, “It’s nice to be on a test drive with people who already know about the car!”

Here we have the TLX in Crystal Black Pearl.

Rear perspective.

These gauges are familiar as the layout is similar to what I’m already used to in my ILX.

It was an important day for Acura enthusiasts. New York City’s “International Auto Show” was the place to be. As each automaker queued up the lights-camera-action for its press conference, automotive enthusiasts from around the globe tuned in to lay eyes on some hot new 2015 model year cars. Acura’s conference was held at 10:50 in the morning Arizona time, and I made sure to block some time out accordingly so I could watch via the live YouTube feed.

The all-new TLX, as a blend of current/outgoing TSX and TL models, will go on sale sometime this summer. You’ll remember when I traveled to the Detroit Auto Show to see the prototype uncovered for the first time. In the months since then, the TLX has been refined and readied to become a full-blown production model instead of just a piece of art.

Acura’s Mike Accavitti took center stage and introduced the TLX as a vehicle with “more performance, more prestige, and more technological sophistication” than ever before seen in its predecessors. Matt Hargett took the stage next and discussed some of the car’s key features and multiple powertrain choices, ranging from a 206-horsepower 4 cylinder to a 290-horsepower 3.5-liter V6.

Thanks to 2theRedline star Sofyan Bey for sending me a few pictures from his front-row seat at the conference, including the following three.

Nice looking interior!

Side profile shot courtesy of AcuraNews.com

Acura’s full press release is here. I admit I’m loving that blue hue and sure wish I’d been able to see the action in real life.

I’ve been absent from the blog for a few days as I’ve had company visiting from out of town. My friends Jeff (Calgary, AB) and Shane (Salt Lake City, UT) spent some time here in Phoenix with me so I was in host mode instead of driving all over the state.

Jeff did borrow the ILX for a couple of days while I had to work, so that gave me an excuse to treat the old Legend to a 35-mile round-trip commute to the office. The car was happy to get some time on the open road.

Another Acura found its way to my home this week, too. I took delivery (on behalf of an out-of-state friend!) of a 2005 Acura TL automatic on Monday. It will soon go to its new owner in Utah.

But for now, this Alabaster Silver automatic TL with 163k miles on it will enjoy being a part of the Acura family at my house.

I haven’t even had a chance to take it for a spin yet since Jeff and I brought it back to the house.

I’ll spare you the suspense and start throwing pics in here right away.

Here is the 2015 Acura TLX Prototype.

And here’s the reveal video.

It was so cold this morning, I had to scrape frost off the inside of the windows in my 2013 Nissan Altima rental car. I was at Cobo Hall bright and early to score a front row seat for Acura’s 11:05 a.m. press conference. Thumbs up here!

The booth (pictured empty here) later filled to complete capacity well in advance of the press event. Standing room only!

Before

Lights, Camera

ACTION!

Beauty shots as the music and smoke add dramatic effect.

TLX spins on a turntable

And finally a chance to get up close and personal.

Here you go.

Total stunner. Especially that lickable paint. From Acura’s press release:

Like any truly world-class athlete, the TLX will pair power and efficiency with deft agility. With its low and wide stance, rigid yet lightweight body, and nimble and responsive chassis, the TLX is designed to deliver confident, precise and refined ride and handling performance in almost any driving situation.

From low-stress urban commutes to relaxed long-distance cruising, or adrenaline-inducing runs down twisting country roads, the TLX is designed to be an intuitive and confidence-inspiring driving partner, a vehicle that epitomizes Acura’s dynamic concept of “performance at the will of the driver.”

Jarad Hall – the man who spent the last several years of his life designing this car! He succeeded masterfully.

Profile. The prototype pictured here had no interior, but we do know some specs about the powertrains. This car will incorporate available Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive and Precision All-Wheel Steering. There will be available 2.4 liter 4-cylinder and 3.5 liter V6, direct-injected engines. Also available are two different transmissions: an 8-speed dual clutch, and a 9-speed automatic. Yes, NINE!

With Vince Manganiello of Acura Public Relations. We’re both quite proud of how this turned out!

The car drew quite a crowd.

Nice looking rear.

I’ll spare you the rest of the nitty gritty and link you to the official Press Release.